Over the weekend, the United Kingdom reversed plans to release restrictions at Christmas and announced tight locks across much of the country, citing concerns about a variant of the coronavirus believed to be is much more contagious.
Warnings of the new change, first announced in the south-east of England, led to British travelers being cut off from much of Europe and other parts of the world when countries banned travel from the UK.
While the new variant of Covid-19 is believed to have originated in England, it has also been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, Covid-19 World Health Organization technical director Maria Van Kerkhove said Sunday. Researchers are studying the same strain of the virus in South Africa, prompting further travel restrictions from there.
Remember: There is no evidence that the new changes are more dynamic, meaning they do not cause more serious disease. They do not appear to affect the effects of medications or the protection that vaccines offer
The following is a list of countries that have banned travel from the UK so far:
- Russia: Russia is suspending flights to and from the UK for a week starting at midnight, Moscow time in December. 22, a state-run news agency RIA Novosti quoted Russia’s coronavirus response headquarters as saying.
- Jordan: The government has decided to suspend direct and indirect passenger flights (transfer) from the UK starting Monday and lasting through Jan. 3. The announcement was made in a statement by Jordanian Government spokesman and Minister of State for Media Affairs Ali Al-Ayed
- Oman: Oman will close its air, sea and land borders starting Tuesday December. 22, for a period of one week to monitor the new version of coronavirus reported by the United Kingdom, Oman state news agency reported.
- Argentina: According to a joint statement released Sunday by the Argentinian Ministry of Health and Interior, Argentina will allow only one more British flight to land at the international airport in Buenos Aires on Monday morning. Flights were canceled later.
- Belgium: Belgium will suspend travelers from the United Kingdom on Monday because of the various coronavirus outbreaks that have appeared there, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Sunday morning.
- Bulgaria: Prime Minister Boyko Borissov convened a working meeting on Sunday with members of his cabinet in response to the new divergence, when a decision to suspend air travel between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom was briefly starting Monday to Jan. 31, his office said.
- Canada: Canada says it will ban the majority of passenger travel from the UK starting midnight on Sunday for at least 72 hours. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the news in a tweet Sunday night saying that action was being taken to protect “Canadians” across the country.
- Chile: The Chilean government has announced that all flights to and from the UK will be canceled starting on Tuesday, and that passengers who have been in the UK for the past 14 days will have to being self-quarantine.
- Colombia: Colombian President Ivan Duque has also announced the suspension of all flights between Colombia and the UK, starting on Monday. Passengers who have been in the UK for the past 14 days must be self-quarantined when entering Colombia, Duque told reporters.
- Czech Republic: The Czech government is suspending flights from the UK from 6 am ET Monday in response to the new variant of the coronavirus in the UK, a government statement said early Monday.
- El Salvador: El Salvador bans anyone entering the country from the UK and South Africa.
- Estonia: The Estonian government announced a halt to air traffic between Estonia and the UK on Sunday, which will take effect at midnight until the end of the year.
- France: French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced a 48-hour ban on the movement of people from the UK to France starting on Sunday night and applicable to all modes of transport.
- Germany: The German government has said it plans to restrict travel to and from the UK and South Africa because of the new version of coronavirus.
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong will ban all passengers who have stayed in the United Kingdom for more than two hours in the last 14 days from arriving in the city starting Tuesday, a Secretary said. ‘Food and Health, Sophia Chan, at a press conference Monday.
- Iran: Iran announced a halt to flights to and from the UK for two weeks on Sunday.
- Israel: The Israeli government bans flights from the UK, Denmark and South Africa.
- Italy: Italy is suspending flights between the country and the United Kingdom because of the new Covid-19 variant identified in England, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced on Sunday.
- Kuwait: Kuwait suspended flights arriving from the United Kingdom starting Monday.
- Latvia: Latvia has suspended travel to and from the UK from December 21 to January 1, Latvia’s Ministry of Transport announced in a statement on Sunday.
- Lithuania: Fights from the UK will be eliminated, Prime Minister Teh tweeted.
- Luxembourg: Luxembourg has suspended flights from the UK for some time after a new version of coronavirus was detected there, according to a government statement on Sunday.
- Netherlands: The Netherlands will ban passenger flights coming from the United Kingdom.
- Republic of Ireland: The Republic of Ireland bans flights from Britain on Monday and Tuesday, the government announced Sunday.
- Peru: Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti announced a two-week ban on flights coming from Europe in a national speech Monday morning. Sagasti also banned foreigners from coming to Peru if they have been in the United Kingdom for the past two weeks.
- Sweden: Sweden bans travel from the UK, the country’s foreign minister said on Sunday.
- Turkey: Turkey has suspended flights from the UK, South Africa, the Netherlands and Denmark, the state-owned Anadolu Group said late Sunday.
The following countries have not banned travel but are restricting it:
- Greece: Greece will issue a 7-day quarantine to all UK arrivals starting Monday over concerns about the new Covid-19 variant marked in the UK, Greece’s Civil Defense department announced Sunday .
- Portugal: Portugal has banned flights from the UK. Only Portuguese nationals are allowed to travel, and they must have a negative Covid-19 test, according to the Interior Minister.
- Spain: Spain has announced that it is confirming airports to test for PCR tests for people coming from the UK, according to a tweet from the government on Sunday.
Scientists Walter Reed in the U.S. still expect the vaccine to be effective against this new variant, said Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the Walter Reed Army Research Institute. Scientists Walter Reed said they expected to know in the next few days if there is concern that the coronavirus vaccines may not work against it.